The Poetry for Survival Kit - A guided practice for voice, connection, and belonging, rooted in lived experience.

In Dzaleka refugee camp, one of the harshest living environments imaginable, we met an incredible group of teenagers who rediscovered one of humanity’s oldest tools for emotional survival: poetry. These kids are using and teaching poetry to face hardship, reclaim their identities, and imagine a future beyond the limitations imposed on them. When we asked them, why poetry? Most of them answered some version of because "Without it, I wouldn't be alive today." Their successful grassroots practice has inspired the development of The Poetry For Survival Kit (PSK). It's mission is to engage millions of young people around the world facing hardship in poetry as a shared practice for emotional survival. The Poetry for Survival Kit is a guided personal and communal creative journey developed with the Dzaleka poets. It combines their powerful story told in a film called, We Name Ourselves, and six modules led by the poets, sharing their knowledge, creativity, and lived experience beyond Dzaleka. The PSK helps young people facing adversity find voice and expression, while building connection, belonging, and building a global community around the practice. The PSK is currently in development. We are looking for partners! Please reach out!